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Mets discuss possible fifth-starter cycle
between Matz, Wacha and opener: Report
Steven Matz AP file photo
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | FEB. 27-MARCH 5, 2020 29
SPORTS
BY JOE PANTORNO
Mets manager Luis Rojas
has remained adamant that
roles within his team’s starting
rotation won’t be deciphered until
later on in spring training.
That is the lower portion of
the staff, at least.
The Mets already have a solid
top three in place with two-time
defending NL Cy Young Award
winner Jacob deGrom supported
by Noah Syndergaard and
Marcus Stroman.
Over the winter, general
manager Brodie Van Wagenen
created competition for the No.
4 and 5 spots, signing Michael
Wacha and former AL Cy Young
Award winner Rick Porcello to
join the mix alongside southpaw
Steven Matz.
It was believed that the three
would compete for the final
two spots with the odd-man-out
heading to the bullpen to add
another dimension to the Mets’
seemingly-improving relief
corps.
A recent report from the
New York Post’s Joel Sherman,
however, suggests that the Mets
might take an unconventional
approach to address the competition.
“But among the options
they are internally discussing,
The Post has learned, is using
that fifth spot to match up best
against each specific opponent.
The determination would be
does the lefty Matz or the righty
Wacha match up best to start.
Or the Mets would use Robert
Gsellman or maybe even Seth
Lugo as a one- or two-inning
opener should the Mets conclude
that is the best course. In
that situation, the opener would
be followed by Matz or Wacha
for bulk innings.”
That suggests Porcello is
a shoo-in for the No. 4 spot
in the rotation while the
Mets circulate between Matz
and Wacha depending on the
opposition.
Porcello went 14-12 with a career
worst 5.52 ERA in 32 starts
last season for the Boston Red
Sox just three years after winning
the AL Cy Young.
In his spring-training debut
with the Mets on Saturday, Porcello
gave up a run on two hits
in one inning of work while allowing
a pair of stolen bases by
Miami Marlins speedster Monte
Harrison.
Wacha didn’t have much
better of a 2019 season, posting
a 4.76 ERA in 126.2 innings.
While it was a better
ERA than Porcello’s, his lack
of work might have something
to do with the Mets hypothetically
discussing such a process
alongside Matz at the No. 5 spot.
The 28-year-old has worked 160
innings or more just once in
the past four seasons.
The Mets are still waiting for
Matz to develop into that consistent
arm that was billed when he
came up to the majors in 2015.
Injuries have played their
fair share of derailing those
hopes, but Matz has been able
to string two straight seasons of
30-plus starts together.
By no means were they
worthy of being considered as
front-line material, but Matz’s
4.09 ERA and 305 strikeouts
in 314.1 innings hints that he
could be a trusted bottom-ofthe
rotation option — as long
as he figures out how to get out
of the first inning.
His ERA in the first inning
last season was a whopping 6.71.
It shrunk to a 3.78 in all other innings.
The opener role that would
be filled in by Seth Lugo or Robert
Gsellman is one of the newer
fads in baseball, perfected by
the Tampa Bay Rays in recent
years.
Both Lugo and Gsellman
have plenty of experience as
starters, so it wouldn’t necessarily
be too big a transition for the
relievers if they were called on
to open things up.
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